COYLE — A large cougar still stalks the Toandos Peninsula.
A state Fish and Wildlife agent who is hunting the animal, Sgt. Phil Henry, said three goats were killed by a cougar on Monday in the Coyle area.
He believes it is the same cat that has terrorized the area, killing domestic animals, for the past few weeks.
On Monday night, Henry said “I’ve gotten in contact with a guy with dogs, and we are going after it.”
Henry was unavailable for further comment Tuesday.
No people have reported being threatened by a cougar on the isolated Toandos Peninsula, which is south of Port Ludlow and Quilcene, some 40 miles from Port Townsend and about 60 miles from Port Angeles.
Before Monday’s attacks, the last confirmed kill by a cougar was Aug. 28, when a billy goat weighing between 120 and 130 pounds was killed by a cougar Wednesday night about 4 miles north of similar killings near the tip of the Peninsula.
Two alpacas were killed Aug. 25 on property owned by Mark and Aly Stratton at 214 Gien Drive.
The Strattons also lost another alpaca and a milk goat to a cougar.
While other reports of kills thought to be by a cougar have come in recent weeks, including the death of three miniature horses and a number of turkeys, Henry said he could not confirm if they are cougar kills.
Henry said the goats that died Monday was killed by the same cougar that had slain other animals, based on the type of animals it was stalking and the methods it was using to attack.
Killing indiscriminately
He thought it was a large cougar, weighing about 70 pounds, and said it appeared to be killing indiscriminately, without eating its kills.
“This guy just likes killing and leaving them,” he has said.
Henry and a dog tracker brought from Shelton hunted the cougar earlier — but found nothing.
Henry blamed warm, dry conditions, in which the scent of an animal dissipates quickly, and welcomed cooler, wetter weather.
Henry said the best way to catch the cat is for people to immediately report sightings or attacks so he can begin tracking the animal at once.
All cougar or other wildlife-related attacks on domestic animals should be immediately reported to the State Patrol by phoning 360-478-4646 or 9-1-1, he said.
________
Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
